Breaking My Limits
by Junior BLD
Summary: When Sephiroth gets ahold of the Black Materia along with the power to reach other worlds, Cloud and Junior must travel across Gaia to stop him. But, can the soldier and the cosmic defender save the Planet in time? They're sure going to try. However, there is a threat much closer to home, waiting for its turn to strike.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This story is a sequel to Lend Me a Hand, so I'm sorry if some of the information about my OCs in here is a little repetitive. Info along with other stories about Junior and Anti-Junior can be found on my profile. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I only own my original characters.**

Cloud and I traded blows back and forth, our swords flashing fiercely in the afternoon sun. The clanging of metal echoed off the old, stone, walls of the coliseum with almost every strike. I wasn't doing too badly, but the blonde warrior definitely had the upper hand in this battle.

"I'm gonna win. Don't you care?" Cloud provoked, somewhat amused, as he dealt yet another unblockable strike with his Fusion Blade.

"Let's find out!" I responded, charging forward and lashing out with my sword.

"Show me what you've got," the soldier commanded, effortlessly parrying my blade, "before it's too late."

I groaned inwardly. By the serious tone in Cloud's voice, I knew our fight would end soon. I gritted my teeth and lunged at Cloud at top speed. "Ha!" I screamed, aiming a cascade of swift strikes at my opponent.

Cloud managed to block the first blow, but the others got past his sword, weakening him. I finished with a powerful hit to the chest, knocking the soldier down. Knowing better than to swing at him directly, I swung my blade horizontally to catch him from the side.

Like a ninja, Cloud quickly rolled out of striking distance of my sword. "Not bad," he commended, standing again. He narrowed his blue eyes, which now shone like fire, and I knew that playtime was over.

I sidestepped to the left, away from Cloud's thrust, and gripped my weapon tighter, when I noticed something different about my opponent. "Oh no," I moaned. The soldier's body was now glowing with his vibrant blue Limit Break energy, and only one desperate thought crossed my flustered mind. Run!

Cloud, seeming to notice my distress, flashed a knowing smirk before turning serious once more. Then, before I could steady myself, the swordsman launched at me faster than lightning!

I staggered backwards and raised my sword, blocking the first hit. But, this was only the beginning of the soldier's assault.

Cloud slashed with his sword again, the energy around him sparking like electricity. This time, I rolled around him, his blade missing my shoulder by centimeters.

My heart racing, I stood up and tried to put some distance between us. Cloud came at me from the right. I barely deflected the Fusion Blade, but Cloud changed direction and struck so fast that it felt like I was battling three swordsmen instead of just one.

The blonde warrior came at me from the left, and I sidestepped his attack, twisting around to face him. The blue energy was now at its peak, and Cloud lunged again. I stumbled backwards when I sensed something large behind me.

"Nowhere to run," Cloud remarked, lifting his sword for another attack. The blonde warrior had backed me against the stone wall of the arena. I couldn't give up, though. I narrowed my eyes and stood firm, bracing myself for the soldier's next move.

The warrior's sword strikes were almost too quick to dodge, but somehow I had managed to block the next two. Unfortunately, my luck ran out.

Clang! Our blades clashed once more, but the force of Cloud's attack was so devastating that it sent me smashing against the concrete pillar. With one final strike, Cloud knocked me to the ground, my sword falling from my hand and clattering to the floor.

"That's three," Cloud said, standing over me, holding his sword aloft. The battle now concluded, Cloud relaxed a little, and the vibrant energy faded from his body. Three times I had fought him today, and three times he had utterly destroyed me.

"Unbelievable," I muttered, uncapping yet another little glass bottle of healing potion. My supply of the magic elixirs was dwindling, while Cloud's had barely been touched. I downed the bottle of blue liquid and waited for my injuries to heal.

"Better luck next time," Cloud said, taking a few sips of blue potion as well. Since the day he took me to Aerith's sanctuary, Cloud seemed to be a tad less reserved. Though he still only smiled once in a blue moon, he seemed to be opening up a little more, allowing others a bit closer to him. But, this did nothing to soften his skills on the battlefield. In fact, Cloud seemed even stronger now.

These practice sessions with Cloud had been ending the same way for months, in my utter defeat. Sure, I'd do okay with my sword in the beginning, landing a few good hits, but when Cloud charged up that limit break of his, I was helpless against him, like a tree branch caught in a tornado.

I sighed heavily and leaned against the stone pillar behind me. "I don't know…" I said uncertainly, "What if I can't get better? What if I've reached my limit?" I had to become stronger so I could protect those I cared about, and right now, I just didn't think I'd be a match for some of the enemies in the cosmos.

Cloud stared down at me for a moment, his calm, blue, eyes fixed on me. "Limits were meant to be broken," he stated simply.

"I guess," I said, slumping my shoulders. I picked up my sword and gazed down at its reflective, silver blade. A kid with red, spiky hair and blue eyes stared back, looking crestfallen. Automatically, my eyes flicked to the gold metalwork on the handle. There was an indent in the gold, slightly larger than a marble, where a crystal or other jewel was supposed to fit.

"That's a fairly new sword," Cloud reminded quietly, seeing that I was staring at my weapon. "You just… need time to adjust."

"Hm, maybe…" I said uncertainly.

Unfortunately, with Cloud's busy delivery schedule along with school and my crazy cosmic adventures, we only found time for an hour of practice every other week, and that was if we were lucky. Sometimes, the coliseum would be reserved for Anti-Junior's practice sessions with Sora and other Keyblade wielders, and since Anti-Junior defended the multiverse, too, practice time was just as scarce for him as well as me.

I reverently traced the round indent on the sword hilt with my finger. Akaela, my mentor, had said that I would one day unlock the full potential of that blade, and eventually, my cosmic powers. However, based on how practice was going, neither of those things seemed as if they would happen any time soon.

Cloud looked thoughtful, then inspiration sprang into his eyes. The soldier pointed to my sword. "Let's see it," he requested, holding out his hands.

"Uh, sure," I answered, standing and carefully handing the blade to him, wondering why he had waited until now to examine it.

The swordsman gingerly ran his fingers across the flat part of the blade, then stared intently at the empty space in the handle. He reached into the pocket of his indigo uniform and pulled out a small, blue, roundish crystal. Carefully, he pressed the gem into the indent in the metalwork where it magically clicked into place.

I leaned forward and examined the blue orb for a moment. "Is that Materia?" I wondered curiously.

Cloud nodded. "It'll make your sword more powerful and easier to use," he answered.

I gazed at the marble-like orb with interest. So far, I had only encountered Red Materia, the kind that summoned powerful, Smasher-crushing monsters. I wondered what the blue kind did. I guess I'd find out pretty soon.

Cloud handed my blade back to me and took a few steps towards the center of the large stadium. "Let's go again," he said, raising his sword.

My injuries now completely healed, I nodded, and walked quickly to the other side of the coliseum to face the soldier. I glanced at my sword, which was now glowing with an aqua light. My weapon felt easier to hold, and seemed more powerful, but something still wasn't completely right. The sword still felt a little awkward in my hand.

"You ready for this?" Cloud asked, his eyes narrowed in concentration. Then, he ran full speed towards me, his boots pounding on the hard floor. At the last second, he leapt into the air, bringing his sword down over my head.

I quickly ducked away from him, lifting my blade to stop his. A loud clang resounded through the air. Cloud landed in front of me and thrust his sword forward. I jumped back faster than I thought possible, then lunged towards my opponent, hitting his right arm.

Cloud flinched for a moment, as if my sword had been more powerful than he had anticipated. But, he hastily recovered and retaliated with a flurry of quickly executed slashes, most of which I deflected. The Blue Materia really was giving me more skill and power with my blade. Maybe I could finally win a swordfight against Cloud.

We ducked and dodged around each other, blocking and parrying one another's attacks. I had just backflipped to avoid a powerful strike and charged forward to counter, when a sudden sense of imminent foreboding took hold of me. It was as if icy bands had wrapped around my heart. Somewhere in the vast expanse of the cosmos, someone was in deep trouble.

I skidded to an abrupt stop and lowered my weapon, trying to calm my rapid breathing and racing heartbeat. Cloud noticed the change as well, and he froze, his sword arm in mid-swing.

Usually, when somebody needed our help, Anti Junior or I would be the ones to know. But, when either Anti Junior or I were in trouble, our powers would emit a signal, and the entire multiverse would know it immediately. It was then that I knew, with a sinking feeling, who needed my assistance.

Cloud lowered his arm and locked his gaze on me. "Your friend's in trouble," the soldier affirmed seriously, snapping me out of my frightened thoughts.

"Yeah," I said knowingly, trying to stop trembling and come up with the best course of action.

But then, a wave of cold evil washed over me, seeming to spread through the multiverse. It was as if something had been unleashed into other worlds, and the very air was agitated.

"Oh no," I moaned in despair, knowing this could only mean one thing. An evil force had gotten ahold of Anti Junior's cosmic power. "I have to get to Anti-Junior's world, now!" I said, partially to myself.

Cloud, who had heard this, clenched a fist and blue energy surrounded him like flames. We glanced at each other for a silent moment, and I knew he was coming with me. I inwardly thanked the blonde soldier, then tapped into my powers. In a flash of luminescence, both of us were transported away from the coliseum.

Anti-Junior's world was similar to mine. We both lived on an Earth, just in different universes. Unlike any other world in the Cosmos, my friend's world, along with mine, was accessible to anyone with magic or some other form of transport, even if those sentients didn't normally have the power to teleport anywhere else.

Unfortunately, when Cloud and I reached my friend's town, his block was almost unrecognizable. The place looked like a battle zone. Most of the houses that had been preoccupied a few minutes before were now left desolate. Glass from broken windows littered the yards, and some walls were on the verge of collapsing. A few of the houses had sustained burn damage, and the faint smell of smoke hung in the air.

"Hm. Ice…" I muttered, noticing what looked like the remains of a mini snow storm now melting in the sun. Maybe Anti-Junior had conjured a blizzard to put out a fire. Based on the evil energy I sensed earlier, I knew these disasters hadn't happened naturally.

Cloud and I began to walk the silent street when a more immediate problem pushed its way to the front of my mind. Was Anti- Junior all right? Was he hurt? I knew we had to find him at all costs.

"Anti-Junior. Are you there? Can you hear me?" I asked through my watch communicator.

No response.

I closed my eyes and tested the energy around me for some signs of life. Strong spirit energy radiated from the outskirts of the neighborhood. Okay, that meant that the innocent civilians had gotten away safely, but where was my friend?

I focused harder, straining to detect even the smallest hint of Anti-Junior's aura. It was then that I felt something in my heart, a tiny pinpoint of life energy. I was drawn towards this minimal power, as if I were being led by a thread of light.

"Come on! This way," I directed, picking up the pace slightly.

Cloud nodded and followed close behind.

We rounded a corner onto Anti Junior's street. I stared ahead, somewhat afraid of what I'd find when I got to his house. My heart thudded inside my chest and my entire body trembled, but we kept going, the silence pressing in all around us.

"Wait," Cloud ordered suddenly, planting a firm hand on my shoulder. I looked at him, wondering what was wrong. The blonde warrior pointed to one of the more damaged houses, which I immediately recognized as my friend's.

Advancing closer, I looked to where Cloud was pointing and gasped in horror and astonishment. There, sprawled on the grass about fifty feet away from us, was Anti-Junior! At least whoever attacked him hadn't decided to take him prisoner, but he wasn't moving, and I feared he was seriously injured.

"Anti-Junior!" I cried, bolting forward, my heart racing as fast as my feet. I vaulted over the chain-link fence, sprinted across the yard, and knelt by my friend's side.

Anti-Junior was one of the strongest fighters I knew, even if he was a kid like me. But now, he was a mess. His hair and clothes were covered with grass and dirt, and his blue eyes were half-closed. It didn't look like he was even breathing.

"Hey! Anti-Junior! Wake up!" I pleaded desperately, my voice shaking, but he didn't respond. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my mind, but when my friend didn't move or open his eyes, panic threatened to win me over.

Cloud leaned against the inside of the fence, surveying the battle damage. He then looked down at Anti-Junior with concern and muttered something that I couldn't hear, his gaze resting on the sword laying in the grass near my friend.

I thought of the evil sensation I had experienced before. It was so strong, stronger than most I had felt. My heart hammered against my ribcage as desperation swelled inside of me. "Wake up! Wake up!" I pleaded frantically, placing my hands on Anti- Junior's shoulders. Who could have done this to him?

Then, a beep from my watch communicator brought me back to my senses. "Junior. Calm down and think. Help him," Akaela counseled lovingly.

I took sharp, deep breaths, as if the air would ease my pounding heart. Then, doing the first reasonable thing I thought of, I summoned my phoenix wand from Hogwarts and pointed at Anti- Junior's chest. "Rennervate," I said.

A moment later, Anti Junior coughed and sputtered. His eyelids fluttered open, and I let out the breath I was holding. "Oh my goodness! You're okay!" I exclaimed with relief, putting my wand away.

My friend stared out into space for a moment or two, then he tensed, his eyes wide with fright. He groped around wildly, his hands grabbing at air, as if he was looking for something to defend himself with, probably his enchanted sword, which was a few feet beyond his reach.

"Hey. It's okay," I reassured my friend. "It's just me and Cloud here. We're here to help you out."

Upon hearing this, Anti-Junior relaxed a little. My friend blinked twice and shook his head to clear it. "Junior?" he croaked, his voice weak and shaky. He looked around quickly, his eyes darting over from me to Cloud. But, he didn't sit up, and I began to suspect that he was too weak to do so.

Cloud knelt down on the other side of my friend, fished around in his pack, and pulled out a healing potion. He offered the little glass bottle to Anti Junior.

My friend blinked, the uncertainty now visible in his eyes. He turned to me. I nodded encouragingly, and Anti Junior reached for the potion with trembling hands.

Cloud and I helped Anti Junior sit up, then the soldier gently pressed the opened bottle to my friend's lips. Anti-Junior willingly drank, slowly at first, then more hastily until the bottle had been completely drained.

Cloud took the empty bottle back and Anti Junior sighed contentedly. "Wow. That one was new," my friend mused, giving a weak smile. "I don't think I've tried that potion before."

"You think that one will be enough?" I wondered uncertainly.

"Guess we'll see…" Cloud responded, his hand closing around another potion in his pack.

After a minute or two, Anti Junior looked up at us, now able to support his own weight.

"So, are you good now?" I asked, the potion having done its work.

"Yeah, I'm okay…" Anti-Junior responded, sluggishly getting to his feet and picking some loose blades of grass out of his spiky, black hair.

"What happened here?" Cloud inquired seriously, also standing.

Anti-Junior gazed around, as if he were trying to remember something. Then, he put a hand on his heart, looking somewhat crestfallen. He narrowed his eyes and his expression hardened.

"I came back from magic lessons and this crazy-powerful guy ambushed me!" Anti-Junior explained frantically. "I'd never seen him before! I-I tried to fight him, but it all happened so fast! Before I knew it, I was on the ground and he had taken my powers and teleported away."

"What guy?" I asked. "What did he look like?"

Anti-Junior gritted his teeth and thought for a moment. "Let's see…" he said, straining to remember. "Silver hair… Carried a long sword… His voice was deadly calm, but he was terrifying…"

I felt as if a large rock dropped into my stomach. I looked at Cloud, a lump now forming in my throat. I didn't have to ask if we were thinking the same thing. It was written all over his face.

"Sephiroth," the soldier acknowledged bitterly, the distaste and anger evident in his voice.

"Sephiroth…" Anti-Junior repeated thoughtfully. Then, my friend noticed our inquiring looks and decided to explain what was on his mind. "I don't think he was even looking for me. I think he was looking for you, Junior. But, I guess he thought I was you in disguise or something, and he attacked me. I had no choice but to fight, otherwise my parents and brother and sister would have gotten hurt, not to mention other civilians."

I nodded understandingly, having experienced Sephiroth's power first-hand. "Is your family okay?" I wondered.

"Yeah," Anti-Junior said. "They escaped when the battle was heating up, and by then the guy seemed to realize that he had the wrong person, but I had already revealed my powers to him, and he just kept fighting me."

"Wait. How much power did you reveal?" I wondered nervously, knowing that it was risky to showcase too many abilities from other worlds to a new enemy.

"I didn't transform or anything. I just fought with basic elemental abilities. Sephiroth was crazy! It took everything I had just to dodge his sword, let alone keep the damage from his magic contained. But, I guess it was enough to get him interested in my power, and now… he has it."

"He does?" Cloud asked, his mouth a thin line.

"Yeah. He had this weird magic black pyramid crystal thing. That's what he trapped my power light in."

I stared at Anti-Junior, perplexed, having no idea what he could be talking about. Cloud, however, now looked livid, his face drained of color, and his hands were balled into tight fists. "Anything else?" the soldier asked, his voice surprisingly level. He quickly glanced up at the sky, then back at Anti Junior.

Anti-Junior thought for a moment longer, then spoke. "Yeah. Before he took my power, I read his thoughts. Something about a meteor and a stream of life…"

"A meteor… and the Lifestream," I murmured, trying to make sense of the portion of Sephiroth's thoughts that my friend had interpreted.

Cloud, however, seemed to know perfectly well what Sephiroth was intending to do, and wasn't too thrilled about it. His face drained of what little color it had left and he shut his eyes tightly, as if reliving a bad memory. "Not again," he muttered through clenched teeth.

"Wait, what's going on?" I asked, hoping that Cloud would fill Anti Junior and me in.

The soldier slowly turned to me, as if remembering that I was there. He remained silent for a moment, thinking of what to say. "It's nothing," he answered a little too quickly. I was about to open my mouth to retort when he continued. "I don't want you involved."

I frowned. "Well, it's a little late for that because Sephiroth attacked my friend and took his powers. Like it or not, I'm already involved," I said pointedly.

"Me, too!" Anti-Junior affirmed. "I'll find some way to help you out. After I repair all of Sephiroth's damage."

Cloud seemed taken aback by this, but remained firm in his decision to handle this threat alone. "You can't come," he stated boldly, his electric blue eyes glaring into mine, daring me to challenge his decision.

I wasn't really surprised by this. Cloud had always wanted to face his problems alone, but it wasn't just his problem anymore. I stepped forward and met Cloud's piercing gaze. "You can't stop me," I responded determinately.

The blonde warrior gazed at me for a long moment. He seemed to realize that I wouldn't be taking 'no' for an answer. The soldier's eyes narrowed in thought for a few moments, then he nodded. "Let's go," he said.

Assuming he knew where to go, I stood next to Cloud and we prepared to teleport, then I looked back at Anti-Junior. "Are you gonna be okay here?" I asked, wondering how he'd get by alone without his power light. He did have a stash of powerful other worldly weapons in his room, but still…

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Anti Junior responded, nodding reassuringly. "I hit the panic button on my watch right as Sephiroth left, so some other guardians should be here pretty soon."

"Okay," I said, feeling a little better, and Cloud and I teleported away, leaving my friend to tend to his destroyed neighborhood.

 **A/N: Thanks so much for reading! I'll try to keep chapters about this length, but I don't know if I can promise anything…**


	2. Making Plans

**A/N: This chapter is finally up! Yahoo! Sorry if it's a little long or slow, though. I haven't yet mastered the art of dialogue information scenes…**

 **Disclaimer: I only own my original characters.**

The noonday sky was slightly overcast as Cloud and I entered Seventh Heaven, which was pretty much empty, the lunch rush having recently subsided, lucky for us. We needed a quiet place to think things through.

"I really wish I could have seen more of your world," I said to Cloud, only having been able to catch a glimpse of Edge's busy streets and bustling inhabitants.

"No time for that now," the soldier responded as we entered the restaurant.

I squinted in the darkness, my eyes adjusting to the dim light. The smells of delicious food made my stomach grumble, and I realized that I hadn't eaten anything since lunchtime at school. Behind the counter, various foods and crockery were on display, and framed portraits dotted the walls, depicting different places on Gaia: a lively city, a tall mountain, an amusement park…

Cloud and I stepped up to the counter. In the kitchen, a lady with long, brown hair was washing dishes. "Tifa," Cloud called over the running water.

Tifa turned from what she was doing. "Hey, Cloud! Junior!" she greeted pleasantly. She shut off the faucet and dried her hands, then walked over to face us across the counter, still carrying the glass she was drying. "How was the Coliseum?" She leaned closer to me, her cherry colored eyes radiating positivity. "Did you win this time, Junior?"

"Um, no," I answered, embarrassed and a little flustered.

"Not yet, huh?" Tifa asked, seeming somewhat let down. Then, she smiled encouragingly at me. "Well, don't worry. You'll get there at some point."

"Yeah, I hope so." I responded, believing that to be the case in about a thousand years. Don't get me wrong. My sword training with Cloud was awesome. I just wished I could get better with my blade, especially now that I would have to fight one of the toughest swordsmen I had ever faced.

Tifa absent mindedly turned the glass in her hands, her wedding ring glinting as it caught the light. She was about to ask something else when she noticed the seriousness in Cloud's eyes. Her smile faded. "Cloud?" she asked tentatively. "Is something wrong? What's happened?"

Cloud's mouth tightened, as if deciding whether or not to answer. After about thirty seconds, he spoke. "…Sephiroth… He's… got the Black Materia…"

Tifa gasped. "What? Again?" she cried incredulously, dropping the glass she was holding. It shattered on the hard floor with a loud crash, and fragments of splintered glass flew everywhere.

Cloud nodded miserably. "This time, he found a way to become even stronger."

"But how's that possible?" Tifa wondered, her voice shaking. "The Black Materia was destroyed!"

Cloud shook his head, indicating he didn't know. He didn't seem to think it was his place to mention that Anti-Junior had been attacked and lost his powers to Sephiroth.

"Wait!" I exclaimed skeptically, cutting off Tifa's next unformed remark. "Has this happened before? The whole Black Materia thing I mean." But, the look in Cloud's eyes said it all, and my heart sank. "How are we going to stop Sephiroth? We've gotta do something. We need a plan!"

"I'll make some snacks." Tifa said, dumping a dustpan full of glass fragments into the trash can. "I get the feeling we'll be here awhile."

I was about to refuse, insisting we focus solely on the task at hand, but then my stomach grumbled and I had second thoughts. No reason why we couldn't plan and eat at the same time.

We were about to head to a table when Cloud shot a glance at the stairs. I looked, too, and glimpsed the shadows of two eavesdroppers as they retreated further away.

The blonde warrior took a step towards the staircase. "You… don't have to hide up there," he said in a level tone. "You can come down."

I wondered who Cloud was talking to, but got my answer when two pairs of footsteps thudded down the stairs and a boy and a girl came into the room. The boy had light brown hair and blue eyes. He wore a button-down green shirt and dark jeans and a silver pendant dangled around his neck. He was about my age.

The girl was about six or seven and wore a white, collared shirt and skirt. Her brown hair was pulled back into a braid with a pink ribbon. I knew these kids, having sometimes hung out with them after sword training.

"Hey, guys," I greeted, trying not to sound too anxious.

"Hi," Denzel and Marline replied, quieter than usual, and I realized, with a sinking feeling, that they had indeed been listening in on our conversation, and had heard everything.

"You're going away again, Cloud?" Denzel asked, looking up into his adopted father's eyes. I understood the sadness he felt. It was the same for me when my dad left to join the military two years ago. I didn't know how long he'd be gone, but I always knew he cared, which made me miss him even more and hope he'd come home safely.

Cloud said nothing to answer Denzel's inquiry, but the kids got the message.

Marline frowned, on the verge of tears, but her mind was working fast, and she seemed to understand the situation along with her adopted brother. "Is that the reason why you have to leave, Cloud? Because you have to stop Sephiroth again?" she asked.

Cloud held their gaze as he worked out what to tell them. "Listen." He said, his voice bearing both comfort and sincerity. "Even if I go far away, I'll come back."

"Promise?" Marline pressed, on the way to a smile.

"Yeah," The soldier didn't sound too sure, but his response was good enough for the kids, who straightened up and beamed at him.

Cloud then turned to me, his expression serious. "Junior, do have any way of tracking down Sephiroth?" he asked, "Can you feel your friend's light?"

"I don't know where Anti-Junior's powers would be." I said glumly, having already tried to locate my friend's cosmic light, "See, it's a whole lot easier to sense the energy if it's in somebody's heart, but since it's locked away inside that… black crystal thing, I can barely feel anything. Not only that, but if Sephiroth somehow figures out that he can use Anti Junior's power to reach different worlds…"

The rest of my statement got lost in my mind. I didn't even want to imagine the destruction that Sephiroth could cause. I had seen what he did to Anti-Junior's world, and experienced his power and ruthlessness first-hand. Under no circumstances did I want someone like that crossing over into other universes.

Denzel broke the silence with a question that sent chills down my spine. "So… is Sephiroth gonna try and summon Meteor on every world?" he asked. The kids didn't understand a lot about the situation as of right now, but they were smart enough to put two and two together.

I wasn't sure about the answer to that, nor did I want to find out. My stomach hurt just thinking about Denzel's question, and I couldn't take not knowing any longer. "Okay!" I said with determination, my gaze fixed on Cloud and Tifa, "If we're going to stop Sephiroth, you've gotta tell me everything you can about Meteor and the black Materia or whatever it is…. Please?" I added on innocently.

The soldier and his wife gazed at me silently as the seconds ticked by, then nodded solemnly.

Tifa set out a plate of mozzarella sticks and drinks for all of us. We sat down at one of the tables, Denzel and Marline squishing me up against the wall. Cloud sat across from us and Tifa stood beside the table, wringing her hands nervously.

We all immediately dug in, except for Cloud, who stared off into space, lost in his thoughts. He didn't seem too thrilled with reliving this story, and I could empathize with him to a certain degree. I didn't like having to dwell on previous encounters with my enemies, especially knowing that I'd have to face one of them again very soon.

"So, what's this Black Materia everyone keeps bringing up?" I wondered.

Tifa took a deep breath and cleared her throat, momentarily stumped as to where to begin. "The ultimate destructive magic." she answered solemnly, "There's only one in existence, but it can be used to send a meteor to hit the planet."

"Oh…" I said, unsure if I wanted to hear more. Well, that explained part of what my friend saw in Sephiroth's mind. "What about the Lifestream?"

Tifa twisted a lock of hair around her finger in thought. "Well, when the Planet gets hurt, the lifestream travels to heal it." She paused for a second or two, allowing that to sink in. "Sephiroth wanted to use the lifestream to gain ultimate power and rule Gaia."

That didn't sound good, especially when Sephiroth had once attempted to attack my Earth. Was the silver haired man trying this again? Now that he had Anti-Junior's powers, it wasn't just Gaia that was in danger of being destroyed.

"We heard what Sephiroth wanted to do and managed to get the Black Materia first." Cloud said, taking up the story from there. However, his voice faltered. "But then, Sephiroth... he… I-"

"Sephiroth took the Black Materia from us and summoned Meteor." Tifa interjected, throwing an apologetic glance at Cloud.

The only sound that could be heard was the buzzing of the dim light bulb overhead as it flickered sporadically in its socket. It was as if everyone forgot how to speak, but I managed to stammer out a question. "So, how'd you stop it?"

The soldier stared down at his hands for a moment, then straightened up and spoke, pain and sorrow now visible in his eyes. "There's an entity inside the planet's core called Holy that… had been summoned to combat Meteor. Sephiroth was holding its power back, so… my friends and I went to the North Crater to free it." Cloud struggled just to get the words out, and his voice shook from the effort. "The planet used the lifestream as a weapon, which allowed Holy to destroy the threat before it could do any more damage."

"Oh, wow…" I marveled, trying to take all of this in. How on Gaia were we supposed to fight something as powerful as Meteor?

"That's the short version," Tifa said, "Meteor was stopped, but not without loss. That's how Midgar was destroyed, and-" She was about to say more, but she glanced at Cloud and decided against it. Part of me wondered if the soldier had intentionally left a few things out of his story, memories that may have been too painful to bring up.

Cloud nodded once, and without warning, he stood abruptly. We all stared at him, wondering what was wrong. "Potions," the soldier muttered, and headed to the back of the restaurant and out of sight.

"Is he… okay?" I wondered uncertainly.

Tifa sighed. "That was a pretty hard ordeal for Cloud… for all of us," she explained, "Honestly, I thought all this stuff with Sephiroth was finally over, but…" her voice trailed off, as if more painful memories were keeping her from speaking further. She stood as well. "I'm going to go help Cloud pick out potions for you guys," she said, and left the table.

Denzel, Marline, and I sat quietly as the seconds ticked by. Earlier, I would have looked forward to seeing these kids after sword practice and we'd find a game to play or something, but now, all three of us were thinking virtually the same thoughts. Would Cloud and I be able to save this world, let alone the others? And how long did we truly have?

We were pulled out of our bleak meditation when the door to the restaurant opened and a man that looked to be in his thirties came inside. Something about him seemed peculiar, but I couldn't put my finger on what it was. He walked up to the counter as if to order something, but then noticed that no one was there. He glanced around the restaurant, and then turned to us.

"Is the waitress not here?" he asked, gazing at us through round glasses.

We all hesitated momentarily, then Denzel was the one to answer. "She's doing something now, but she should be done in a minute."

"We can go get her if you want, or I could serve you," Marline offered.

"It's fine. I can wait," the man answered, leaning against the counter. He then pulled out his phone and started fiddling with an app. Part of me wondered how phones on Gaia differed from mine, but asking that question wasn't a good idea.

"So, do all of you help out here?" the man asked, looking up from his phone.

Denzel and Marline glanced anxiously at each other. "Not all of us," Denzel answered, a hint of doubt in his voice, as if he were unsure he said the right thing.

"No? But you're from around here, right?" he questioned.

The two kids nodded, but I kept my head down, hoping that the man wouldn't pay any attention to me, a hope that was short-lived.

"And you?" the stranger inquired. I could feel his eyes on me, and there was no other possibility. He was talking to me. "Where are you from?"

The question zipped through my mind like a jolt of electricity. 'Uh-oh,' I thought. What was I supposed to say? I was pretty sure that he wouldn't be satisfied with answers like the United States or California, the guy would think I was crazy.

"A small town," I answered vaguely, hoping this would satisfy his curiosity.

"Yeah? Which one?"

"Um," I grabbed a mini mozzarella stick from the plate in the middle of the table and shoved it into my mouth, mainly to give me time to think. "Actually, I move around a lot…" I answered once I had swallowed.

I braced myself for another question, but thankfully, he didn't get the chance to ask one. "Where are you from?" Marline chimed in before he could ask me anything more.

"I'm from Kalm," the man answered patiently, but there was something about his smile that wasn't real, like a chunk of jagged glass in a row of crystals.

The guy continued talking to us, as if he were hungry for conversation rather than food. He managed to find ways to ease into topics such as family and school, but the questions directed at me were ones that I couldn't answer. What do your parents do? What's your favorite place to visit? Where do you go to school?

By the time I had failed to answer what my favorite type of Chocobo was, I had a feeling he was pretty much suspicious of me. Sure, he was just a normal person, but I still had to be careful. He could call the police, or a hospital, or some science institution, and that would just make things complicated, as similar actions had done so many times before on other worlds.

What was taking Cloud and Tifa so long with those potions?

Our visitor continued the conversation, occasionally glancing down at his phone, but I stared down at the food in front of me, my face hot with anxiety. Denzel and Marline filled in the gaps of silence that I left, but the way the man's eyes flicked over to me, though seemingly involuntary, got me thinking that he wasn't as interested in the other kids.

After taking a drink, Denzel set his juice on the edge of the table. "You sure you don't want me to get Tifa so you can order-?" But, then his arm bumped the cup, and it clattered to the floor. "Aw, man!" Denzel cried. Now Tifa would come whether the man wanted her to or not, but only I saw that Denzel's movement hadn't been an accident.

"Denzel!" Marline exclaimed with surprise, "You've gotta be more careful!"

"Ugh! I know! I did not mean to do that!" the boy said defensively, but he turned to me and winked. I flashed him a grateful smile, though I was still reeling inside.

"What's going on?" Cloud demanded, re-entering the kitchen with Tifa at his side.

I shot both of them a pleading look and mouthed a single word. "Help,"

Tifa's eyes darted from me to the guy and her face flashed with mistrust for a millisecond, though she hid it well with a smile. "Oh, sir, I am so sorry! Have you been helped?" she asked innocently. She turned to the kids. "Did you guys not serve this man?" she reproved.

"He said he wanted to wait for you," Marline explained.

"Well, I'm here now," Tifa said, beckoning the guy to follow her. "Do you know what you'd like?" She led the stranger to one of the farther tables. I stared after them, wondering why she acted so cautiously.

Cloud hurried over and took his seat across from us, his blue eyes staring at me with a hint of urgency. "What happened?" he mouthed, his eyes narrowed.

"He just kept asking me questions that I couldn't answer!" I whispered in a clipped tone.

After a moment, Cloud understood, and his eyes widened briefly, then he became composed again. "Well, we have more important things to discuss," he said.

I nodded, glancing back at the guy one more time, who was now sitting at the table with some headphones in his ears. I guess he liked to listen to music while he ate. I hoped that was the case, anyway.

After filling the customer's order, Tifa walked over to us and spread a large map across the table, which I immediately became engrossed in. I had to guess that this was a map of their entire planet. Three large landmasses were separated by blue oceans, and there were a few little islands here and there.

"Your world only has three major continents?" I asked, staring down at the map with interest. Three continents was a lot easier to remember than seven.

Tifa nodded. "So, where do you think Sephiroth could be?" she asked.

Cloud stared behind me, as if making sure Tifa's customer was well out of earshot. "Well, I think the North Crater's our best bet. That's where he was last time," the soldier answered,

"The North Crater, huh?" I asked, trying to imagine such a place.

Tifa straightened the map and pushed it closer to me. "So, we're here on the East continent," she said, placing her finger towards the middle of the lower right landmass, "and the North Crater is way up here." She slid her finger to the top middle part of the map.

We can teleport, right?" Cloud inquired, his voice cautiously low.

"Yeah, but only to a place I've actually been to." I responded. "I could get an idea of where we need to go from someone's memory of the area, but that's harder to do and there's no telling if I'll do it right. Plus, the person whose memories I tap into has to come, too."

Cloud frowned. "You don't want to use my memories," He stated quietly.

"Oh, then I guess teleporting's out of the question." I conceded. "How long does it take to get there normally?"

"About a week if everything goes well," Tifa responded.

"We don't have time," Cloud stated urgently. "We need to get there faster."

I nodded my agreement, but how were we going to speed up the trip?

Tifa tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Well, is there anywhere else on Gaia you've been, Junior?" she wondered.

"Uh, let's see…" I said, racking my brain. "Oh! That sanctuary! The one where Cloud cured my Geostigma!"

"That's in Midgar." Cloud stated.

"What about Icicle Inn?" Tifa suggested, pointing to a place on the North continent.

I shook my head. It didn't sound familiar.

Denzel and Marline started tossing in their ideas as well.

"Golden Saucer?" Denzel asked. "It's kind of an amusement park."

"Tifa and Cloud went on a date there once!" Marline chimed in, a smile lighting up her face.

I didn't really know how to respond to that. "Uh, that's great?" I said awkwardly. Cloud was a warrior, and it was hard for me to imagine him anywhere but the battlefield. Then again, I didn't really know that much about him.

"Th-That's on the West continent!" Tifa informed, her cheeks flushing red. Cloud looked away, his face reddening as well, then gazed down at the map more intently than before.

I thought everyone would give up after the first few strikes, but they kept tossing around ideas.

"Nibelheim?"

"No."

"Cosmo Canyon?"

"Nope."

"The Sleeping Forest?"

"I don't even know what that is!" I cried, intrigued by the name. All these places sounded amazing, and under different circumstances, I would have loved to visit each one of them. After all this Meteor madness was over, I definitely wanted to take a tour around Gaia.

"Come on," Tifa urged, gazing at me. "You can't think of anything?"

"I'm sorry…" I answered glumly. "We should just get going now while the sun's still high."

"How will you even get there?" Tifa asked seriously.

"Fenrir." Cloud said simply.

The kids' eyes grew big with excitement and slight envy. I glanced at them curiously. Denzel, perceiving my inquiry, spoke. "Cloud's motorcycle," he clarified keenly,

This news was about as shocking to me as the revelation of Blue Materia during sword practice. "You have a motorcycle?" I blurted, experiencing a rush of exhilaration. I knew that Cloud ran a delivery service, but I never thought about how he got around.

Cloud just nodded.

"Can that take us all the way to the North Crater?" I glanced down at the map. "Well, aside from the ocean?"

"It'll take us a pretty good distance." The soldier answered.

"But not on the Northern continent." Tifa said, her finger tracing the map. "See here? That place is mostly snow and ice."

I nodded, realizing what she meant. The top landmass was almost all white with green and brown patches near the bottom. "We'll burn that bridge when we come to it," I said, hoping to find a solution to that problem.

By this time, the man at the back of the restaurant had finished eating and gotten up to leave. "Nice talking to you all!" he said cheerfully as he passed by our table.

"Bye!" Denzel, Marline, and I called after him, me mainly to try and dismiss any suspicions about me that the man might have gathered during our little talk.

"Thanks for the meal." He handed Tifa a few coins and headed for the door. The man stopped momentarily and briefly took his phone out once more as he walked. I glimpsed a red diamond logo in the few seconds it was out that sparked my curiosity. Shinra. That was an interesting brand for a phone.

Eyes narrowed with distrust, Cloud watched the man as he left the restaurant, a look of uncertainty flickered across the blonde soldier's face, as if he were half-wondering if he should pursue him. He shook his head, dismissing the thought, but something else was bothering him now, aside from Sephiroth and Meteor.

"Is something wrong?" I wondered.

Cloud said nothing, but his mouth tightened into a thin line as he stared after the stranger, who was already halfway down the sidewalk. The soldier then exhaled slowly and looked down at the map once more, his mindset back on our mission.

I glanced down at the Northern continent on the map again when something caught my eye. "Hm. What's the City of the Ancients?" I wondered.

Cloud was silent, and for a moment, he looked distant.

Tifa stared up at the ceiling, trying to gather her thoughts. "It used to be home to the Cetra race two thousand years ago," she explained.

"Cetra?" I asked, my interest earned.

"An ancient race said to have been able to talk to the Planet." Tifa elaborated. "They were ancestors of the human race. But now… well… they're gone…"

"Oh," I said solemnly. Not wanting Cloud and Tifa to dwell on the sadness they seemed to feel, I asked only one of my two questions. "What does that place look like?"

"Well," Tifa said, straining to think of a way to describe the city to me. "There are buildings shaped like shells… and these strange, glowing crystals everywhere… some tall towers… and some old artifacts…"

I leaned forward listening intently as Tifa recounted the city's appearance to me. Something was familiar about the things she described, and a glimmer of hope burned inside me. I was sure I had seen that place before…

"Wait," I chimed in, my heart pounding with excitement. "Did this city have a spring, some kind of shrine thing and a staircase of light?"

"Yes! That's it!" Tifa exclaimed exuberantly.

I almost couldn't believe our luck! "I saw that place in a dream!" I screamed with glee, practically jumping up from my seat.

Tifa's eyes shone with excitement and her face lit up, blooming with new hope. Cloud's concerned frown lessened slightly, and the kids shot jubilant glances in my direction.

"A dream?" Cloud asked curiously.

"Yeah! When I was sick with Geostigma! I saw kids around the spring, and then Cloud fought off a bunch of monsters!"

Everyone stared at me in silence for a moment, but Cloud seemed the most interested. "That was no ordinary dream," he said, "because it happened."

I gasped with astonishment and awe. This was great! If I could tap into my memory of that place, then we'd be able to teleport there and save a ton of time!

"I'll go pack those potions you wanted." Tifa said, folding up the map. "Denzel, Marline, time to start your homework, okay?"

"Okay, Tifa." The two kids said in unison, and stood up from the table. Denzel and Marline hesitated a moment, their eyes fixed on Cloud and me.

Then, Marline ran over to Cloud and hugged him, surprising the soldier. Cloud gingerly put an arm around the girl, and after a moment, they parted.

"Good luck, guys," Marline said, and headed upstairs with Denzel.

Halfway up, Denzel stopped and turned back. "Cloud, we'll see you guys soon, right?" he asked, smiling confidently at us.

Cloud stared into the boy's eyes and nodded. Denzel grinned and turned away, satisfied.

When the kids were gone, I gazed anxiously up at Cloud. "Think we can handle this?" I asked.

The soldier was silent for a second, then nodded. "It'll be tough, but guess we'll have to, huh?"

"Yeah," I answered quietly, inwardly appreciating the fact that I wouldn't be doing this alone. "I guess we will."

 **A/N: Thanks so much for reading! Please review! If you don't review, I won't know if you like it or not.**


	3. The Forgotten Capital

**A/N: Hey, guys! Sorry this took forever. Hopefully this chapter is okay at least. Also, the next two chapters for this story have yet to be written because I decided to add some things to the story, so I might not be updating for a while. But, rest assured that I will finish this story and anything else that I've started working on. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I only own my original characters.**

Cloud, Tifa, and I stood in the parking lot at the back of the restaurant. The clouds overhead had parted, allowing the sunlight to shine down in short bursts, but they shifted constantly, as if they were restless. The wind took shallow breaths, as if the sky itself was trembling with anxiety. Glad I wasn't the only one.

However, my uneasiness was replaced with temporary excitement as I stared in awe at the large, black, motorcycle in front of me. It had two wheels in the front and one in the back, and storage compartments on either side. My mom would probably ground me for life if she saw me on this thing. Hopefully Akaela didn't tell her right away.

"Is this what we're riding to the North Crater?" I asked, butterflies attacking each other in my stomach.

Cloud walked around to the other side of the bike and nodded. "Your weapons can go in here," he said, motioning to one of the motorcycle's compartments.

I stowed my sword and wand in the right-side compartment, my hands shaking.

"First time riding?" Tifa asked, noticing my anxiety.

I nodded.

"Don't worry!" she reassured, placing a gloved hand on my shoulder. "You'll be fine. Denzel and Marline love riding the motorcycle. There's nothing to be nervous about."

"Thanks," I said, smiling gratefully. I wasn't scared to ride the motorcycle, well, not completely, anyway. In fact, I was pretty thrilled. It was our objective that really scared me. Last time Cloud and I fought Sephiroth, we barely made it out alive. I shuddered to think how much harder stopping him would be now that he had access to powers from other worlds. Worse, still, was the possibility that he would learn how to use them.

Tifa secured the bag she and Cloud had packed on the back of the motorcycle, then turned to me. "What about those?" she asked, pointing to the Fire Crystals I had summoned from my room only a minute ago.

"I'll hang on to them," I answered, fingering the two glowing, reddish gems. The slightest jolt could ignite them, and I didn't want to accidentally set our transportation on fire.

Once the supplies were secured on Fenrir, Tifa walked up to Cloud. They stared at each other for a moment, then Tifa wrapped her arms around him. "You'd better make sure you come back safely, Cloud Strife," she ordered, no doubt trying to mask her fear.

The soldier stiffened, but then returned the embrace. "I will, Tifa," he whispered soothingly, and offered her a small, reassuring smile, one of the few I'd seen from him. I couldn't help imagining that this was what my parents experienced when my dad left for the military.

Then, I remembered something. I pulled out my phone and punched out a message to my mom. 'Can't come home. Something's come up.' I would have liked to call her, but time was pretty short, and a message was better than nothing. I pressed send and put my phone away, feeling empty inside.

Cloud and Tifa held each other close for a second or two, then Tifa acknowledged my presence. "That goes for you, too, Junior," she said authoritatively, the traces of a smile now playing at her mouth. "You'd better come back in one piece as well."

"Yes, ma'am!" I sputtered, embarrassed that she had seen me staring.

The soldier and his wife embraced for another moment, then they reluctantly broke apart. Tifa looked from me to Cloud one last time and walked back inside the restaurant. She would have definitely come with us to offer her assistance if it weren't for the kids, who were her first priority.

Cloud watched her go, then faced me, the fire returning to his eyes. There was no more stalling or waiting around. We had to do this now. I just hoped I was ready for the journey we were about to take.

"Come on." Cloud motioned for me to get on the bike, then climbed on himself.

"Wait," I said, my eyes wide with confusion. "Aren't we going to tele-?"

"Not yet," Cloud interrupted, eyes darting from the handful of pedestrians on the sidewalk to the line of cars zooming along the street. "Too many onlookers…"

"Oh. Good call," I agreed, recalling the incident with the stranger in the restaurant. It seemed Cloud was still concerned about that, too. Trying to calm my racing heart, I gingerly stepped onto one of the pegs and hoisted myself onto the bike behind him.

"Grab on," Cloud instructed, leaning forward and gripping the handlebars.

Trembling, I wrapped my arms securely around his waist, imagining the looks on my Earthly friends' faces when I told them that I got to ride Cloud's motorcycle.

The blonde soldier turned the key in the ignition and Fenrir's engine roared to life. He exerted force on the throttle and in no time, we were zooming along the city streets past houses and stores and civilians, the cool wind rushing past my face.

Riding a motorcycle was like riding a roller coaster, and it was pretty clear why Denzel and Marline enjoyed it so much whenever Cloud took them for rides. The rush of exhilaration as the motorcycle picked up speed and the way we'd lean as we turned sharp corners were unforgettable.

I glanced around hurriedly at the scenery, hungry for the new adventure this world would offer me, afraid that I would miss something if I blinked. Edge seemed to be doing all right for a new city, like an undernourished plant growing from the ashes, though it wasn't quite thriving.

On one street stood a line of stores with produce carts of withering fruits and vegetables. There weren't many plants, and the only animals I saw were a few large, yellow chicken creatures and their riders. What were those things? A massive skyscraper and a couple of other buildings looked like they were still undergoing construction, but for the most part, the city wasn't doing too badly for a place that had to be rebuilt after a meteor crushed it. The people seemed pretty happy, anyway.

Most other cars merged onto the main highway, but Cloud turned the bike and we zoomed along a deserted side-road. In no time, the busy streets and bustling inhabitants were left in Fenrir's wake, and the very air seemed to change from lively and happy to miserable, and deadly quiet.

I coughed as a chlorine-like smell drifted on the wind along with what seemed like a year's worth of dust. "Where are we?" I choked out.

Cloud, however, didn't hear me over the roar of Fenrir's engine, and continued driving. I stared at the destroyed, desolate houses and the empty, deserted streets, and realized we were now traveling through the remains of what had once been the great city Midgar. The air was still, aside from the bike's engine, and there were no signs of life anywhere.

Some areas looked like they had been cleared of metal, wood, and anything else that could be salvaged. But, I glimpsed other structures as we zipped past at eighty miles an hour; a fallen sign that read 'Wall Market', a heap of colorful plastic and metal that could have once been a playground, and Aerith's sanctuary, which, now that I think about it, was surprisingly undamaged considering the circumstances. Maybe someone had rebuilt it.

It was horrifying to think how many people's lives had been affected by a space-rock. Had Meteor, or rather Sephiroth, truly done this?

Suddenly, chills ran down my spine, as if the power light in my heart were trying to warn me. Having no doubt felt the change in the air, Cloud slowed the bike to a stop and looked back at me. "Something wrong?" he wondered.

"I… don't know…" I glanced around, trying to spot any signs of danger, but everything was so still, as if we were in the middle of a bleak photograph instead of an actual place.

Cloud looked around. "Hm, this place is usually crawling with monsters. Could that be what you're sensing?"

"Hm, maybe…" If there were monsters, they were doing a pretty good job of concealing themselves within the ruined buildings and twisted piles of scrap metal. I didn't think I was sensing any of them. But, if not them, then what on Gaia was making my skin crawl? Why did it feel like someone, or something, was watching us?

"We should keep going," Cloud said, snapping me out of my thoughts. "It's not safe here."

"Uh, yeah," I agreed, and Cloud revved up Fenrir's engine, exerting more force on the throttle than was necessary, as if he were attempting to escape some malevolent force that was pursuing him.

As we continued along Midgar's deserted road, the last of the houses faded into the distance, and we found ourselves in a grim, barren wasteland. There was nothing around for miles except for dusty earth. The place was devoid of people or animals, and the hot sun broke through the clouds, looking down on a flat, empty patch of land. Everything was so vacant, like a blank slate that had any traces of life erased from it.

Cloud stopped the bike and cut the engine, and we dismounted. "What's with this place?" I wondered, perplexed by the lack of plants. I hadn't seen anything green and leafy since I arrived in Edge. Everything was so dead here, and I felt like my energy was fading away, too. It made me miss my town, where grasses and trees actually grew.

"Gaia has a lot to recover from," Cloud explained. "Meteor… Shinra… It's using up most of the Lifestream to do that."

Cloud talked as if this world were a living thing, making me feel sort of bad for the Planet. I was about to respond, when he changed the subject. "There's no one around. We can teleport now."

"Oh, right," I said halfheartedly. Pushing away all of my other thoughts, I focused on my task at hand.

This next part was completely up to me. I took a deep breath, concentrating on the city in my dream, focusing on it as if it were a photograph or painting in my head.

"Ready?" I asked once I had created a clear image in my mind.

"Hm," Cloud nodded.

Closing my eyes, I tapped into my power. Energy filled my whole body, like electricity, and a second or two later, I vanished along with Cloud and the bike, destined for the Forgotten Capital.

Before I knew it, my feet touched down hard on solid ground and my power started to diminish. A shudder ran through me as a blast of chilly wind brushed against my arms and face. The temperature was at least thirty degrees colder, and it hadn't been windy in Midgar's wasteland. I just hoped we arrived at the right destination.

I opened my eyes and looked around. Cloud and Fenrir had appeared next to me, which was a good sign. At least I hadn't lost them during the transport. Not like that time when… You know what? I'm not even going to go there.

We had landed in a clearing of soft earth. There were a few random patches of greenish shrubbery around, nicer than the withering ones in Midgar's wasteland. Snow-white mountains stood in the distance, as ancient and majestic as the Egyptian pyramids. Overhead, the sky was a thin layer of flat, silver clouds, like a sheet of metal.

My heart pounded in my chest, and a tingly energy pushed against my ribcage as if trying to break free. Sure, I had powers from other universes, but I had to be careful of how much I used. The more powerful or complex the magic, the easier it was for the light containing my powers to get dislodged from my heart, or to stop working entirely, and teleporting multiple times in a single day qualified as complex.

"That's where we're heading," Cloud said, pointing to the white peaks that loomed in the distance. However, my attention was drawn to the wonder in the opposite direction; the City of the Ancients.

Maybe it was because I had dreamed about the place, or maybe it was some alluring force of the city itself, but I just had to venture through this ancient settlement. It was as if something was inviting me closer, like a gentle, familiar song.

"What is it?" Cloud asked, noticing my transfixed gaze.

"I… don't know… I feel like… there's something we need to do here…"

Cloud lowered his head and stepped backwards. "I don't..." But his voice trailed off. His eyes seemed slightly pained again, and I wondered just what happened here that made him reluctant to return.

"Maybe there's something here that can help us out," I pressed. Something was calling me in, and I couldn't just ignore it, could I?

After a long silence, Cloud exhaled. "Let's just be quick," he cautioned, and after he assembled his Fusion Blade, we set out towards the city.

Dreams, no matter how vivid, did not do this place justice. The moment we entered, new energy sprang up inside of me, as if the city were waking up all around us, opening its eyes after a two-thousand-year sleep. Our feet thudded on cobblestone streets as we walked past seashell shaped buildings. I ran my fingers along one of the smooth walls that gleamed even brighter in the light of glowing crystals. There was a peaceful silence that calmed my mind, and the salty smell of the ocean was carried on the breeze, though the sea was nowhere near us.

"It's best to stay on the upper level," Cloud said, gripping his sword. He seemed tenser than usual, as if the crystals and cobblestones would rise up and attack at any moment.

"Okay! I'll let you know if I find anything," I said, and we parted ways.

"Be careful," Cloud called after me. I nodded, and he resumed scouring the area. But there didn't seem to be anything to be afraid of. What sort of enemies could be lurking in a city that hadn't been inhabited for thousands of years? I didn't realize how soon I'd get my answer.

As I walked the old streets, whispers, ancient and mystical, rose up all around me, as if carried on an ocean wave, or traversing the wind. I took a moment to listen, but it sounded like they were in another language, probably Cetran. Whoever it was, whether spirits from the Lifestream or some other force, seemed pretty excited and anxious, as if they were waiting for something.

I rounded the corner past one of the larger buildings, when something, or rather someone, made me stop short. "It's you!" I exclaimed, my breath catching in my throat.

Standing a few feet away was a woman with emerald eyes. Her chocolate brown hair was done up in a braid like Marline's. I recognized her pink and white dress and red jacket, but most of all, her gentle smile and her honey-sweet voice. Aerith!

"You came! Even though you don't have much time," she said, her eyes sparkling. "That's a good sign!" Aerith stepped forward. "But, why did you come?"

I gazed at her silver bracelets gleaming in the light of the overcast sky. "Wait, why is me coming a good thing?" I wondered, "And what do you mean I don't have much time?"

Aerith didn't answer. Instead, she turned and walked away in the opposite direction past a few glowing, blue crystals.

"Wait!" I called, running after her. It didn't take long for me to see where the flower girl was going, but she moved kind of fast, with a sense of urgency, and it was hard to keep up with her. She was headed towards the light staircase that descended into the lower level of the city, the one I really wanted to see, but that Cloud told me to avoid.

I opened my mouth to tell her I couldn't follow, but she was already halfway down the stairs. It seemed too important to ignore her, and I had to figure out what she wanted. Making up my mind, I slowly descended the glowing staircase. Each step down felt warm on my feet, as if I was walking on hardened sunlight, and as we descended lower, my curiosity skyrocketed.

Aerith led me past tall towers and more glowing crystals that seemed to whisper as we passed by. A minute later, the flower girl stopped beside a lake of water. I came to a halt when I realized what this was, and feared I was walking right into a trap.

I stood about ten feet from the spring, but Aerith beckoned me closer. I had met her before and she seemed so nice. Surely she wouldn't try to deceive me. Besides, my Geostigma was gone. It's not like Sephiroth's tainted water could be used against me.

Taking a deep breath, I walked up to the flower girl.

"Don't worry," Aerith reassured gently. "The water is clean now, thanks to the Lifestream's rain."

"It is?" I asked, doubt nagging at the back of my mind.

Aerith nodded. "The energy from the pure Lifestream neutralized the water tainted with Sephiroth's will as well as the Geostigmatic plague on the Planet."

It took me a minute to figure out what she had said. "So, the Lifestream is what cured my Geostigma?" I asked, amazed. "But, Cloud said that the people thought the Lifestream caused it!"

"That's not entirely true," Aerith said, "The Lifestream was tainted in a great battle. The Planet was only trying to defend itself, which it succeeded in, but it picked up the stigma in the process."

Great battle? What could she be talking about? Then, something occurred to me, detouring my focus. "You led me all the way down here just to tell me this?"

Aerith tilted her head to one side and giggled, though her smile was genuine. "The Planet has taken a liking to you," she answered, and with that, her form rippled and began to fade away.

"Wait!" I called. I still had so many questions for her! But, the place where Aerith stood was now empty, with only the smell of flowers lingering on the light wind.

I sighed and looked into the spring. The water was perfectly clear, sparkling in the light of the sun. Far below the surface, yellow flowers grew in full bloom. "Why are there flowers at the bottom of the lake?" I asked myself. It was possible for flowers to grow underwater, but never that deep.

Fascinated, I leaned forward to get a better look at the beautiful blooms. My face was inches above the smooth surface of the spring when a tiny glint of white light caught my attention. It was no larger than a speck, but somehow, my eyes were drawn to it over anything else in the water.

"That's weird," I whispered, squinting to see better. The white speck was now pulsating with a hypnotic, green light, as if it were calling for me, inviting me closer. But what on Earth-or Gaia-was it?

I glanced up at the light staircase. There was no sign of Cloud anywhere. Maybe he was still searching the upper level. Satisfied, I looked down at the spring again, when a sudden force jerked me towards the water. It wasn't too strong, but it got my attention, as if an excited kid was trying to show me something of interest.

That did it! I had to know what was down there! I held my hand out over the surface of the water and concentrated my energy into my fingertips, creating a tractor beam. The peculiar object should have come shooting out of the water into my open hand, but, though the surface of the water was disturbed somewhat, the tiny white thing didn't move at all.

"Hm, that usually works…" I muttered to myself. Whatever was down there wanted me to come get it. The more I stared down at the object, the stronger its beckoning became. "Well, I guess it couldn't hurt to take a quick look underwater."

Heart fluttering with anxiety and excitement, I took off my shoes and socks and set them along with my sword at the edge of the spring. Hesitating for only a second, I sucked in a deep breath of air and jumped,

Though I expected it to be freezing to begin with, I flinched as the cold liquid washed over my head, completely burying me. As I dove deeper, the water became colder. Thanks to my powers, I could breathe underwater for extended periods of time, but not forever. The lake wasn't too deep, so I could have a look around the bottom before I had to go up for air. But, with so many things to look at, I didn't want to break the surface anytime soon.

Silvery fish darted around me as I swam along the lake bottom. My fingers brushed up against soft, smooth, yellow petals, but the flowers were warm, and only slightly moist, as if they were being protected from the full force of the water.

My eyes flicked this way and that, searching for the white speck. But the lake was huge! How was I going to find it? Maybe it had something to do with the flowers? They were only growing in one spot in the entire lake, after all. That had to be it. With a powerful kick, I swam closer to the yellow blooms, wondering just what was preserving them.

By this time, my chest tightened and my body tingled from the cold. But, I wouldn't be underwater much longer. I just had to get that thing that had called out to me.

Then, I saw it! A few feet away, nestled between patches of flowers, was a miniscule, round orb of some kind.

Propelling myself through the chilly water, I reached out towards the mysterious white thing. Warmth spread through my fingers as they closed around the small, hard object. Mine at last!

However, I had barely picked the thing up, when a familiar voice sounded in my mind. It was both calm and level, yet sinister and deadly, able to pierce my mind like a dart.

"Oh, no, it won't be that easy."

A vision of the silver-haired man swam before my mind, and I shuddered when I discovered who the voice belonged to. I hoped I wouldn't be seeing him this soon. I quickly shook my head to clear it and started swimming to the surface of the spring.

Suddenly, a sharp jolt pricked my heart and my chest constricted. I kicked harder, but the water around me seemed to become denser, as if I were swimming in Jell-O.

What was happening? I struggled and thrashed, but my arms and legs felt as heavy as lead. Every muscle in my body ached with each movement as I fought to reach the surface, and my lungs felt like they would burst!

With all my will, I called on the light in my heart for strength, or for some way to escape the water that held me bound. But, I didn't get any stronger or teleport to the surface! The light in my heart didn't even spark!

I gasped for air, unable to hold my breath any longer. Liquid ice poured into my lungs and bubbles streamed from my mouth and floated to the top of the water. The surface of the spring was still at least ten feet away. Desperately, I pushed myself upward, but my movements slowed down tremendously. Panic clouded my thoughts. My vision darkened, my head drooped forward and I drifted towards the bottom of the spring, down… down…

Had I already failed in the quest to stop Sephiroth? Would I be doomed to stay underwater with the warm, yellow flowers forever?

Then, at that moment, a powerful arm hooked around my waist, jerking me upward through the water with all the force of a torpedo.

The next thing I knew, I was lying on my back on the hard ground. My head and chest felt tight, as if pressure had been exerted on them. Something seemed to be blocking the wind, and after a moment, I managed to open my eyes.

Cloud leaned over me, his chest heaving as if he had completed a marathon. His dark clothes were soaked, and water dripped from his hair onto my face. Some of the soldier's gear was scattered, as if it had been carelessly discarded, and his gaze was fixed on me, but I couldn't tell if he was angry or worried.

"I'm s-sorry," I choked out between coughs, now shivering because of the chilly air.

Cloud gazed at me for a moment, and his expression softened. "Don't move," he ordered, catching my attempt to sit up.

The soldier crawled over to his pack, probably intent on grabbing a healing potion for me, but, I wanted to try my powers again. I barely had to concentrate before my healing energy kicked in. A warm feeling circulated through me, as if I had just eaten some of my mom's homemade potato soup, and I sat up with ease.

"Oh, so now my powers decide to work," I muttered under my breath. Had they stopped because I teleported earlier? Or did it have something to do with Sephiroth? I remembered Akaela saying that sometimes villains could use one cosmic defender's powers to override another. Had Sephiroth used Anti-Junior's powers to override my ability to breathe underwater? I shivered. That was too scary to think about, but it seemed the most likely, considering the voice I had heard.

Then, in a rush of excitement, I remembered why I had gone into the water in the first place! I opened my hand to examine my find.

The object was perfectly round, like a marble, and about the size of a golf ball, though slightly smaller. It felt glossy smooth, and sunlight shimmered on its white, reflective, surface. I held the little orb between my fingers, testing it for any magical energy, but I didn't feel anything.

Weird. I was sure it had been pulsating with light a few minutes ago, but there was nothing mystical about it now. I concentrated harder, trying to feel the slightest signs of magic from within the orb, but I didn't detect anything. Had I put two lives in danger for an ordinary, white marble? Maybe some Cetra child had thrown it into the lake or something.

It took a few moments before it sank in. Thinking about my mistake made my stomach hurt. What would Cloud think of what I had done? I had come along to help him, but instead, my dive in the spring had delayed our quest to the North Crater.

Disappointed and a little angry at myself, I raised my clenched fist to throw the white object back into the spring when I felt a slight tug on my arm, as if some force was pleading for me not to let go. Puzzled, I lowered my arm and stared at the marble in my hand. I guess it couldn't hurt to hang onto it, but it would serve as a reminder of the ancient city and my near-doom experience in the spring.

Having retrieved what he was looking for, Cloud turned to face me. I closed my hand around the marble, hiding it from him. I feared the soldier would be angry. But, instead, he gazed at me with soft eyes.

"Are you all right?" Cloud asked, holding a little bottle of blue potion out to me.

I took the bottle, but didn't drink. "Yeah." I answered, putting on my socks and shoes and standing up.

"Why did you come here?" the soldier asked seriously.

I lowered my head and kept my mouth shut, not wanting to tell him about what I had found. But then, thinking I should say something, I blurted the first thing that came to my mind. "I saw someone."

Cloud, who had already proceeded to retrieve his gear, stopped what he was doing and faced me. "Who?" he asked, eyes darting back and forth.

"Aerith," I answered quietly. "She led me to the spring, but… I think it was all a trap."

Cloud balled his hands into fists, suddenly angry. "She wouldn't do that!" he declared defensively.

My eyes grew wide with shock at Cloud's outburst. I thought of my last statement and realized how it could have been taken the wrong way. "I know she wouldn't," I amended calmly, "but, Sephiroth would."

Silence hung over us like a void, then Cloud gathered up the rest of his gear. "Let's go. Sephiroth is still waiting."

I grabbed my sword from the edge of the water, put the white marble in my pocket, and followed the blonde warrior. What had made Cloud go off like that? Had he known Aerith from somewhere? Based on how quick he was to defend her, they must have been good friends. But, had something happened to her? Was this why Cloud was so upset? Because she was… in the Lifestream?

We had made it halfway up the light staircase, when suddenly, a warm feeling enveloped me and I heard a strange voice. It was a gentle whisper, like the wind, and cool, like water. Yet, there was power buried within its softness, like a sleeping volcano.

"You've come,"

I stopped short and looked around, puzzled. The entire city was deserted except for Cloud and me, but the voice was so potent that I was sure I'd heard it. "Where… are you?" I whispered, thinking that whoever spoke was around somewhere.

I wasn't expecting to get a response, however, so I was pretty flustered when the voice spoke again.

"Here."

My heart beat faster in my chest. "Where?" I asked, a little louder. There was a pause, as if the entity was thinking, then I got a strange response.

"Just… here."

This thought rolled around in my head for a few moments when I looked up. Cloud was already at the top of the stairs, gazing back at me. I hurried to catch up with him.

"What kept you?" he asked patiently.

"Sorry," I said, trying to catch my breath. "I just… thought I heard a voice."

Cloud nodded. "Yeah, that happens here..."

"It does?"

"Some kind of ancient Cetra magic."

"Hm, maybe." But, I had heard the Cetra whispers, and this voice didn't sound like that. It sounded older, more powerful. What was it? And why had it decided to wait until now to talk to me? What did it want from me?

We continued walking past the glowing crystals and seashell buildings, headed for the outskirts of the city.

"Oh, thanks for the save back there," I said. "If it weren't for you, Sephiroth would have overpowered me."

"Sephiroth?" The blonde warrior turned back to the city of the ancients. His blue eyes were overcome with pain and fury, but his voice betrayed neither of those emotions. "Not the first time he was here…"

Cloud continued onward, and we left the city with its underwater, yellow flowers behind.

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! Don't know when this will be updating next. But, other stories will be updating soon.**


	4. Blocked

**A/N: Hey, guys! So, this chapter got to the point where I was over-editing, and it was just time to let it go and move on. So, here it is…**

 **Disclaimer: I only own my original characters.**

Teeth chattering, I followed Cloud across the grassy stretch of land before us. My damp clothes clung to my skin and Gaia's north wind made me shiver.

"Where did we park?" I asked, clenching my fists to prevent any more warmth from escaping.

"We didn't," Cloud pointed out, searching the horizon.

"Oh, you know what I mean," I said. How hard could it be to spot a big, black motorcycle in the middle of a grassy plain?

…Maybe about as hard as finding a drowning kid in a huge lake. I clenched my fist around the white marble in my pocket, ashamed that Cloud had to save me on this quest, when I was supposed to be helping him.

Cloud walked ahead, staring intently at the mountain peaks on the horizon. He acted as if everything were normal, as if he were just going to fight another monster. If he was upset at me for slowing us down in the Forgotten Capital, he didn't show it.

"Cloud?" I asked uncertainly. "How long do we have?"

The soldier stopped and turned. "Before what?"

I stared down at my shoes. "Before… Meteor…"

Cloud's shoulders stooped, as if the Fusion Blade was pressing down on them. "No way to know for sure..." he said.

Other than the sheet of puffy whiteness overhead, the sky was empty, but I couldn't help wondering. "What if Sephiroth already summoned it?" I asked. "What if we're too late to stop him?"

"He hasn't," Cloud answered. "If he had, we'd know. We'll have to hurry if we want to stand any chance of stopping him."

I sighed. "Well, guess we'd better find your bike, then."

We pushed past a few tall plants and shrubs, keeping close to the city of the ancients. I hadn't teleported us that far away from it when we first arrived. Although, we had been in a hurry to leave. Maybe we left from the wrong exit or something.

"There!" Cloud nodded at a dark shape beyond the tall grass in the distance.

My spirits lifted at the sight of Fenrir. "Hey! Yeah!" I cried. We walked briskly toward the motorcycle, glad we wouldn't have to journey all the way to the North Crater on foot.

Suddenly, Cloud stopped short. His body stiffened and his hand crept to his sword hilt. I wanted to ask what was wrong, but got my answer when he pointed ahead.

Two dark figures loomed over the bike. They resembled wolves, and their teeth and claws looked strong enough to crush stones. The monsters' red eyes glinted with malevolence, sending shivers down my spine.

The creatures probably smelled us approaching, and now pawed the ground, ready to attack.

"Shadow Creepers," Cloud muttered, and rushed forward, his Fusion Blade drawn.

"Shadow what-? Cloud!" Without thinking, I ran after him, but he had already taken the offensive and slashed at the oncoming monsters.

As Cloud's sword struck, one monster hissed, a bone-chilling sound that could have come from a snake and a dragon. The other leapt forward, but Cloud side-stepped the monster's claws and brought his sword down onto the creature's head.

The monster fell to the dust, but, the first creature had shaken off Cloud's hit and lunged at him from the side, its teeth bared.

Monster fights were something I faced hundreds of times, something I'd been trained for, and right now, Cloud needed help.

"Ellight!" I thrust my hands forward and shot the Shadow Creeper with a magic blast. The monster staggered, blinded by the golden beam, and its claws just missed Cloud's shoulder.

Cloud swung his blade sideways, and, three strikes later, the creature dissolved into specks of green Lifestream dust.

The remaining Shadow Creeper charged towards Cloud and sprang into the air. Cloud ducked and slashed upward, but the beast cleared the sword and tore across the plains in my direction.

"Uh-?" Heart pounding, I raised a light barrier. The Shadow Creeper plowed into my shield and recoiled in shock. It shook its head, trying to right itself, and a mixture of fear and adrenalin coursed through me.

"I got that one!" Cloud said. He ran toward me, then slashed the remaining monster to dust.

"Thanks," I panted, my energy barrier dissolving.

Breathing deeply, Cloud replaced his sword across his back and turned to me. "You should try and conserve your power for when you really need it," he stated.

"Right," I said, catching my breath. I used way more power than I meant to during that fight. Hopefully nothing serious came up until the light in my heart had time to settle.

I looked where the two monsters once stood. Cloud had been teaching me about different creatures on Gaia, but we hadn't covered Shadow Creepers in my training. And yet, they seemed familiar. Where had I seen them before?

Cloud knelt down to inspect the motorcycle for any signs of monster damage. "Fenrir can only get us to Icicle Inn," he said. "Have you figured out a way to cross the continent?"

"Yep," I replied, putting my sword away and retrieving my wand. "A few spells should do the trick."

I rolled my wand between my fingers as Cloud finished his inspection of the bike. Other than the few scratches in the metal, there didn't seem to be any indication that the monsters had damaged it. However, Cloud stared at one of the front wheels with distaste, and my spirits deflated at his next words.

"We have a flat."

My eyes widened in disbelief, but then I looked down and grimaced. Fenrir's front tire was slashed through by what looked suspiciously like Shadow Creeper claws.

Seriously? Of all things that could get in the way of stopping Sephiroth and reclaiming Anti-Junior's powers, we get halted by something as simple as a flat tire?

This had to be just a coincidence. An unfortunate accident. Sephiroth didn't seem like he would take the time to halt our transportation with something so trivial.

I took a deep breath and exhaled. "Okay. Not a problem," I said, pointing my wand at the damaged tire.

But Cloud set to work pulling tools from the storage compartments, eyes narrowed as if challenging anyone else who dared mess with his motorcycle.

Okay. Guess he was going to fix it.

As Cloud unscrewed bolts from the motorcycle's hubcap, a rustling in the tall grass caught my attention. Instinctively, I whirled around, my wand at the ready, but my aim was too high to hit anything.

The blades of grass parted, and a yellow, feathery head poked out. My grip on the wand loosened when I realized how small the creature was; about the size of a baby chicken. In fact, that's what this thing looked like, except for its slightly longer neck.

The creature cocked its head to one side and stared at me through black, beady eyes that glinted with budding intelligence. Then it let out a curious "Gwek?" as if to ask 'What are you supposed to be?"

I had half a mind to ask it the same thing, but of course the chicken couldn't really have been wondering that.

"Akaela! What is that thing?" I whispered over the communicator.

"Why don't you ask Cloud?" my mentor suggested. "He's supposed to be teaching you these things, right?"

"Ugh, fine!" I complained, and turned to my guardian on Gaia. "Cloud? What's that?"

The soldier looked up from Fenrir's tire and I pointed to the creature in the grass,

"That's a Chocobo," Cloud answered. "It won't hurt you."

"Is that what those giant bird things in Edge were?" I asked, remembering the large chicken creatures in the city.

"Yeah, But that one's barely hatched." Cloud answered, and turned back to the motorcycle.

Interesting…The strange man at Seventh Heaven mentioned something about Chocobos, but the way he asked the question, it sounded more like a kind of chocolate rather than an animal.

Then, Akaela's voice brought me back to reality. Apparently, she decided to do Cloud's job after all. "Chocobos are some of the gentlest creatures on Gaia. They're usually friendly, unless they sense ill intentions."

I nodded and looked back at the little animal.

The Chocobo pecked at the ground, biting small chunks off of something green and leafy. The vegetable looked like a carrot, but its color was that of an onion or a peeled potato.

I stepped forward to get a closer look, but when it saw me approaching, the bird stopped eating and scampered towards the tall grass.

"Oh, wait! Don't run away!" I pleaded, kneeling down so I didn't scare it. The little Chocobo stopped and looked back at me, almost as if it understood me to a certain degree.

"No one's going to hurt you," I reassured, hoping it would come closer.

"The babies are a bit less trusting," Akaela informed, "but I think this one might come to you if you give him some food."

"Where am I gonna get food?" I asked. Our supplies were off-limits in this case, and I didn't have anything on me. The Chocobo gobbled up the last bit of vegetable and sniffed the ground in search of more.

I glanced around and, to my surprise, spotted some of the vegetables growing near me. Eagerly, I picked a few greens from the stalk. "Here, Chocobo," I coaxed, holding the food out in front of me, thinking of a name for the little guy in the back of my mind.

I tossed a piece of vegetable and it landed with a thud in the grass. The Chocobo took a few tentative steps towards the treat, bent his head to sniff, then snatched the food up in his beak.

Before he could turn away, I threw another vegetable, a shorter distance this time. The bird immediately went for it.

I tossed another, and another… It reminded me of when Mom would take my sister and me to the park to feed the birds.

But, something struck me as odd… Where were the little guy's parents? One would think they'd be nearby, but there were only a few patches of tall grass around.

Presently, a warm, feathery something rubbed up against my leg. The baby Chocobo had come much closer, and now leaned against my knee.

"Oh, hi!" I whispered in surprise, feeding him the last bit of vegie. Slowly, I lifted my hand, wondering if he'd let me pet him. A moment later, my fingers met with softness as I stroked the bird's head and neck.

"Gwek!"

Seeming to enjoy the attention, the Chocobo climbed into my lap and curled up, reminding me of any common household pet. For a moment, I wondered if he had belonged to someone, but there weren't any towns or cities nearby, ones that were inhabited, anyway. Besides, the little guy was way too young to have learned to trust humans. He must have really liked those vegetables.

A prickling on the back of my neck told me someone was watching, and I glanced over my shoulder to see if Cloud finished changing the tire.

Sure enough, the soldier now stood, and took a step towards me. "Time to go," he said.

My gaze rested on the Chocobo, who had made itself comfortable in my lap. It only occurred to me now that I would have to leave the little guy behind. We had to reach Sephiroth, after all, and the North Crater wasn't the safest place for a baby Chocobo to be running around. But, we couldn't just leave him here. Not with Shadow Creepers roaming the area.

"It'll be fine," Cloud said, seeming to know what I was thinking.

"You sure?" I asked. "What about the monsters?"

Cloud nodded at the little creature. "Chocobos are pretty fast. No monster stands a chance."

"…Okay," I said, and reluctantly nudged the little bird off my lap.

I stood and walked with Cloud back to the motorcycle, but the Chocobo let out a mournful whine and dashed after us.

"Uh-oh," I said awkwardly. I stopped and turned. "You can't come with us. It's too dangerous." I tried to explain, but I wasn't sure how much the Chocobo could understand.

The little guy ran up to me and nuzzled my shin. I had to admit, it was kind of sweet, but my mind would not be swayed.

Cloud bent down and rummaged through his pack. "Here. Give it some of this," he said. The soldier stood, clutching what looked like a cross between a pumpkin and a bell pepper. It came apart in sections, like an orange or a clove of garlic. Cloud pressed one of the small sections into my palm.

I broke the wedge into bite-sized pieces and dropped one at my feet.

The Chocobo gulped it down in two seconds flat and looked up expectantly.

"Oh, you want more?" I asked, waving the treat back and forth.

The Chocobo followed my movements with his head. Nothing could detour his concentration. He would do anything for another bite of food, even stay behind.

Pushing aside my guilt, I hurled the remaining bits of vegetable as far as I could and forced myself to turn my back. "Bye, little guy," I whispered. I never did give him a name.

"It's okay, Junior," Akaela said. "I'm sure little Chobi won't forget you."

"Chobi?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at my mentor's name choice.

"What?" Akaela pressed playfully. "I can have fun on these missions, too!"

By then, Cloud finished putting away his tools and turned to me. "You said you had a plan. Show me what you've got." He nodded at the motorcycle, then stepped back.

Right. Magic time.

Cloud eyed my wand with slight interest. "I don't think I've ever seen you use that, aside from earlier."

I beamed. "Well, now's your chance."

Breathing steadily, I circled the motorcycle and performed a series of complicated wand movements, muttering incantations under my breath to protect us from snow, ice, and the possible monster attack.

"Impervio… Protego Totallum…"

When I was done, I cast the revealing charm that Lupin taught me to ensure that all the enchantments were done correctly. "Well, that should be good," I said, satisfied with my work.

Cloud nodded and reloaded his pack onto the motorcycle. "Let's go," he said, getting on the bike and placing his goggles over his eyes.

I nodded, put my wand in the storage compartment, and climbed onto the motorcycle. Cloud started Fenrir's engine, and in no time, we were zooming over the grasslands at a hundred miles an hour!

It was fun for about the first thirty minutes, especially when the motorcycle dipped and rose with the bumps and crevices. The landscape rolled by, and soon, patches of snow dotted the grassy plains like clumps of flour.

After a while, though, the chilly wind started to sting, and I wished I had cast the protective spells on Cloud and myself as well as the motorcycle. My arms begged to stretch, and my legs were sore from staying in the same position for so long. How did Cloud do this all day?

Gradually, the last of the green and brown patches faded away, and soon, we were riding through sheets of icy, white powder.

Cloud tensed up, no doubt hesitant to continue through the ice and snow. As if to reassure himself, he exerted more force on the throttle, and the bike sped up.

Time to see if I'd done my magic correctly.

The snow got deeper and the ground became slippery, but Fenrir's engine showed no signs of faltering and our speed remained steady. Cloud maintained perfect control, like he was driving on asphalt rather than ice.

Fenrir now donned an invisible bubble of magic, which was at its strongest. The motorcycle cut through the snow like it was liquid foam. Tree roots and other iced greenery practically jumped aside as we passed, providing a straight shot to the mountains.

The good news? We were making great time in reaching the North Crater. The bad news? ...We were making great time in reaching the North Crater. What if I wasn't ready to fight Sephiroth? What if we lost?

 _Ugh! Stop that!_ I scolded mentally. Thinking like that before a coming battle only made it harder to fight when the time came. Instead, I focused on the monotonous roar of the engine and my surroundings as we zoomed along.

The sun sank towards the mountains, laying down its head to sleep, blanketing the snow in gold light. Fenrir drove at a steady rate, as it had been for the past two hours, and sleep sounded pretty good to me. It'd put my fears to rest, anyway.

The mountains were still so far away, and my eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

"NO!" Cloud screamed suddenly. The soldier tensed up and, without warning, Fenrir jerked forward, rapidly picking up speed.

"Argh! What's going on?" I cried out, now fully awake. But then, I looked up and my jaw dropped in astonishment.

A halo of shimmery light spread through the sky like a massive water ripple. The energy then curved downward, falling like a curtain around the peaks. What was that?

Cloud held the throttle steady, and Fenrir rocketed forward, rapidly closing the distance between us and the cliffs. The soldier's body was rigid, and he gripped the handle bars so tightly that his knuckles were white. He acted as if his life depended on reaching the peaks.

The glowing dome was halfway over the mountains now, descending lower by the second, and my breath caught in my throat when I realized what it was. A barrier!

No! He wouldn't! He couldn't!

"Cloud! Faster!" I screamed.

But, Cloud was already pushing his motorcycle to the limit. The engine whined, and smoke rose up from the front of the bike.

The peaks rushed towards us, but Sephiroth's barrier was already three fourths complete. We weren't going to make it through, and at the speed Cloud was driving, we'd crash!

"NO!" Cloud screamed as the barrier touched the ground, but he didn't release the throttle, and I suspected he was too shocked to do so.

"Cloud!" I yelled, trying to break him from whatever trance possessed him. It was only a matter of seconds before we smashed into the barrier, and though the enchantments on the motorcycle were powerful, they wouldn't hold up against a full-force crash with the mountain.

Snapping my eyes shut, I ignited the light in my heart, and a protective, blue bubble sprang to life around us.

Cloud winced, suddenly seeing sense. He jerked the handlebars and Fenrir swerved to the left as a force like a bomb blasted us away from the barrier.

Metal ground against metal as Cloud slammed the breaks, and we spun in circles, Cloud attempting to get the overheating motorcycle under control while I screamed my head off!

I tried manipulating the wind to stop the bike, but I was so jostled that I couldn't concentrate. My heart hammered in my ears, and my teeth were clenched so tightly I feared they would be ground to nothing.

With an ear-splitting squeal, the brakes kicked in completely, and we spun one more three-sixty before screeching to a stop.

For a few seconds, all was silent, except for the wailing wind around us. Snow fell through the air in huge flakes, though it bounced harmlessly off of the massive silver barrier.

"You okay?" Cloud asked, his jaw locked.

Though my body trembled like crazy, I nodded and removed the blue bubble from around us and stared ahead.

Cloud said nothing. Instead, he dismounted and trudged up to the barrier, fists clenched at his sides.

I hopped down and followed him, but cold hit like a slap in the face when I exited Fenrir's energy field. Shivering in the icy air, I plodded up to the energy dome.

Cloud said Sephiroth hadn't summoned Meteor yet, but if he had enough power to seal himself off like this, then the instrument of Gaia's destruction couldn't be far behind.

"Seriously?" I complained. "Not only is Sephiroth a crazy-powerful swordsman, but he can create impenetrable barriers, too?"

Cloud turned to me. "He's done it before… but this one feels different somehow."

"It does?" I asked, fists tightening with anger. If Sephiroth was using Anti-Junior's powers to slow us down…

Just then, the air began to hum with power. A knot formed in my stomach as I glanced fearfully at the sky. In the distance, a small, dark dot descended towards the horizon. Was that Meteor?

Cloud must have seen the fear in my eyes. "Relax. It's just an airship," he reassured.

The knot inside my chest loosened and I turned my attention to the barrier again. "So, how do we break this thing?"

"We'll need something more powerful than magic or energy blasts," Cloud pointed out.

My shoulders sank and I pursed my lips. As much as I didn't want to admit it, he had a point. "What are we supposed to do then?"

Cloud sighed with frustration and shook his head. He looked to the horizon, where the sun had sunk lower in the sky. "Well, we can't stay here," he said.

He was right, though his remark was a little obvious. We'd freeze in this weather. But, was Fenrir in any condition to drive?

I looked back at the black motorcycle. The front was still smoking, and the faint smell of burning rubber and metal reached my nostrils.

Cloud stared at his bike with apprehension. Not only was it crucial to our survival, but if we actually managed to stop Sephiroth and save Gaia, Cloud needed it to do his job. For the second time today, he went to inspect the damage, which would have been a lot worse were it not for the enchantments.

"…Looks okay," he said after a while. "The engine just needs to cool down."

I perked up. That wasn't much of a problem, and I could help with that. I stepped back into Fenrir's bubble of warmth and rummaged through the storage compartment with my weapons. "Reparro," I muttered, tapping my wand against the motorcycle.

Instantly, the smoke cleared and the smell of burning metal vanished, along with any unseen problems with the vehicle. "There we go," I said. "...Guess we'll have to find a place to stay the night, huh?"

Cloud climbed onto the motorcycle and wiped the condensation from his goggles. "Come on. I know where we can go."

Once we were on the bike, he turned the key and we drove through the snow back the way we'd come.

Above us, the sky faded from a bright cyan to a deep navy blue. The ride only got chillier, and before long, my hands and face were numb with cold. Just when I began to wonder when we'd get to our destination, I saw a cluster of buildings on the horizon, a small village in the wide, snowy expanse.

The small town seemed like a sort of resort. Since it was already nighttime, no one was outside, but there were a few cozy houses and a shop, their windows lit up like candles.

Cloud stopped the motorcycle in front of what appeared to be an inn. He shouldered his pack and strapped his Fusion Blade to his back. Guess he never went anywhere without it. I retrieved my phoenix wand and we trudged through the snow up to the wooden door. I wasn't sure if the weapons were allowed, but it felt good to have some form of protection on us.

The moment I entered the inn, all thoughts of the barrier and North Crater fled from my mind. Warmth wrapped me in its embrace, and the smells of good food invited me in. I hadn't realized how sleepy and hungry I was until the promise of a warm bed and decent meal seemed imminent.

Cloud walked up to the receptionist, fished out some coins, and set them on the counter. "We need to stay the night." He said.

As Cloud talked with the lady at the desk, my eyes wondered to the smell of the food, a restaurant tucked away at one side of the large lobby. Hamburgers, fries, and barbecue called out to me, and my stomach urged me to answer, as others were already doing.

A family of five was eating a hot meal, the three kids chattering away excitedly and the parents trying to quiet them down. Some people sat alone. A man with black hair and round glasses smiled in my direction. My eyes held his gaze, and something tugged at the back of my mind, but I was two famished and tired to dwell on it.

"Come on," Cloud said, snapping me out of my hunger induced trance. "We're set upstairs."

Pulling my eyes away from the restaurant goers and all the delicious food, I followed the soldier, dragging my feet along the carpeted hallway. Cloud unlocked one of the doors and motioned me inside.

The room was a decent size and looked pretty comfortable. The dark blue carpet and the white and yellow bedcovers fought for my gaze, though I was unsure if it was the contrast or just because I was so tired. There were a few pictures on the walls, one of which depicted a view of the Planet from space. A nightstand stood against one wall, along with a desk and wooden chair.

"Yes! Window bed!" I exclaimed, and flopped down onto the soft comforter.

"Here. This is yours." Cloud tossed one of two keys to me, keeping the other for himself. "I'll be across the hall."

I nodded, and he left the room without another word, closing the door behind him.

However, before I could even think about sleep, a ringing alarm jolted me from my drowsiness. At first, I thought it was Akaela on my communicator, until I realized it wasn't my watch going off, it was my phone.

The moment I answered, a stream of questions rapid-fired from the other end. "Junior! Oh, thank goodness! I was so worried! Is everything all right? Are you still with Cloud? When you didn't come home from sword practice, I thought something happened, but I wasn't sure until I got your message and-!"

"Whoa, Mom!" I cried, trying to calm her down. "I'm okay, really!"

"Junior, what's happening?" Mom asked after a deep breath.

"Well, a lot, actually..." I told her about how Anti-Junior lost his powers to Sephiroth, how the swordsman was planning to summon a meteor to hit Gaia, and how things were going so far, glossing over the part where I nearly drowned and where we crashed Fenrir. "…and now we're at this really cool inn hotel thing." I finished.

There was a pause on the other end, then Mom spoke. "Okay, Junior. Just be careful, and mind your limits." The tone in her voice sounded like she was telling me to wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle, a conversation which I had been lucky to avoid so far.

"I will," I promised for what felt like the hundredth time. This advice had been repeated to me over and over again, whether by my mom, my mentor, or various otherworldly guardians. Why were they being so cautious? I was just doing my job. Sure, there were those times when I had to be carried home due to sheer exhaustion, but we'd won all those battles. It wasn't my fault that my enemies called reinforcements and didn't know when to quit.

Mom paused for a moment, and I wondered if she believed me. She sighed. "I'm sorry. I just worry about you," she said, her voice quivering.

"I know."

My fight against evil was hard on her. It was bad enough that my dad was overseas working to keep us safe, but now Mom had to worry about me, too. She had gotten used to me disappearing for days or even weeks at a time, but that didn't make it any easier on either of us.

We said our goodbyes and I hung up the phone, wondering when, or if, I'd make it home again.

Sighing, I looked out the window, where Sephiroth's barrier glowed a faint silver, as if it were made of moonlight. Cloud and I had to get past it somehow. For the sake of the cosmos, we had to.

Three sharp knocks sounded at the door, nearly causing me to jump through the roof. "…Cloud?" I asked.

"Yeah," the soldier's voice called from the other side of the door. Of course. Who else on Gaia would be knocking at my room?

"Come in!"

The door opened and I whirled around as the savory smell of burgers and fries reached my nostrils. Cloud entered the room carrying an armful of to-go boxes.

"Food!" I cried, my voice unusually high. It took everything I had to resist lunging for one of the cartons.

"You looked hungry," Cloud said, handing one of the take-out containers to me.

"I am hungry!" I exclaimed with glee as I tore into the-fast food. "…Thanks!"

It's amazing what a few bites of hamburger and a fistful of fries could do to re-energize someone. Once I had started eating, I felt better than ever. It wasn't the healthiest of meals, so the energy burst wouldn't last long, but right then, I was ready to talk strategy for our quest.

"So, got any suggestions for breaking down that barrier?" I asked. "You said we'd need something really powerful."

"We do," Cloud responded. He set his pack down and sat in the chair across from me. "Think we'll be getting some otherworldly help?"

I set my burger down and shook my head. "Everyone else should stay on their worlds in case Sephiroth decides to try something."

Cloud nodded, but his eyes stared off into space, as if he were lost in thought.

"What is it?" I asked.

The soldier opened his mouth to speak, but seemed to change his mind on what he wanted to say. "Nothing. It can't be done."

I leaned forward. "You know something that can help us…"

Cloud set his food container beside him and looked down at his hands. After a long moment, he spoke, but it wasn't what I expected. "Why'd you go into the lake at the Forgotten Capital?" he demanded.

"…What?" I asked, taken aback.

"If there's a reason you went down there, I want to hear it," he insisted. "I know you didn't go out of your way just for a swim."

"I told you. Aerith led me there. I didn't really know what she wanted me to do, though."

Cloud looked up. "And… did you find anything?"

My mouth curved into a frown. Was he expecting me to find something? "Nothing useful," I answered.

"I'll be the judge of that." The soldier held out his hand, waiting for me to drop something into it. He would be less than pleased with the results.

Uncertainly, I reached into my pocket and was about to pull out the white marble when a scratching sound caught my attention. "What is that?" I asked.

Cloud's head turned a fraction of an inch towards the noise, which sounded like claws scratching against canvas. His eyes widened in a moment's confusion, then in about two seconds, he was kneeling beside his pack. I watched nervously as he opened it and looked inside.

For a moment, he looked confused, then slightly annoyed. "You're kidding me," he said, his voice a mixture of surprise and irritation.

"What?" I asked, leaning forward.

Cloud reached both hands into his pack and lifted out a small, yellow mass. "A stowaway."

The yellow mass lifted its head, ruffled its feathers, and let out a frightened "Gwek!"

My jaw dropped in astonishment. "Oh, no way…" I breathed. "…But, he ran away!"

Cloud shook his head. "Guess he came back."

The baby Chocobo stretched up his neck and checked out his surroundings. With a cry of surprise, Chobi opened his wings and three marble-like gems fell to the ground and rolled across the carpet.

"Hey! Those are mine," Cloud exclaimed, stooping down to retrieve the green, blue, and purple orbs. As he did so, however, Chobi made a bid for freedom, leaping from Cloud's hands and running around the room like an overly excited puppy.

"Whoa!" I cried. My first thought was reaching the door before Chobi to prevent any form of escape. It would ruin their night if the other guests, or the workers, for that matter, found a baby Chocobo running around the inn.

Cloud made a dive for the little creature, who had darted under the nightstand. But, Chobi evaded his grasp, ran across the room, and climbed up onto my bed without much effort.

"Oh, no you don't!" I cried, frantically closing my box of unfinished fries before the little guy could make a mess of things.

"Gwek?" The Chocobo stopped a moment and looked at me as if he were confused, then he bolted to the other end of the bed, burrowed under the blankets, and curled up into a tiny ball.

Cloud exhaled slowly, as if releasing tension. "Don't think it's going anywhere for a while."

The soldier bent to retrieve the three gems that Chobi took from his pack. He picked them up and handled them with such care that curiosity got the better of me.

"Wait. Are those different Materia?"

Cloud nodded, stowing the magic orbs in his pocket. "I found them in the ancient city."

"Oh," I said. "Maybe they can break through the barrier…"

"They can help…" Cloud gazed at the wall-hanging of Gaia from space. "We'll need Materia if we want to save the Planet, but we should use it only when necessary. As I said before, the Planet has a lot to recover from."

"Well, we have to make sure Gaia can't get hurt any worse before it can recover." I reasoned, glancing at the lump beneath the covers. Even this little guy was in danger now, in need of our protection. Though we couldn't stop Sephiroth yet, maybe we could do something else for the little creature, at least send him somewhere where he would be safe from harm for the time being.

I slowly brought my hands around Chobi's body, which was trembling through the blankets.

"Aww! I think the little guy's scared!" I observed as Chobi let out a few soft whimpers.

"No surprise there," Cloud muttered.

"Huh? What do you-?" Then I realized what Cloud was getting at and felt doubly bad for our stowaway. "He was with us during the crash!" I exclaimed, awed that Chobi had made it out in one piece. "But how did he even get inside your pack in the first place?"

The soldier glanced at his supplies, then at the lump under the blankets. "Probably while you were doing magic…" he said.

The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. "That might have happened," I said sheepishly, absent-mindedly running my hand over Chobi's body.

By this time, the Chocobo had stopped whimpering, though he still trembled like a leaf. "It's okay… Chobi," I soothed. "You don't have to be afraid of loud noises or super bumpy motorcycle rides."

Chobi peeked his head out of the blanket, but he just stood there, not keen on coming any closer.

"Oh, don't you remember me?" I asked. "I'm the one who fed you all the yummy vegetables earlier."

Chobi slowly emerged from the bedspread and walked up to me.

"There. See? Everything's okay!" I said, holding out my hand.

Chobi sniffed my fingers, which were still covered with salt from my fries. He stepped forward and nuzzled my palm.

"Does this mean I have to feed him, too?" Cloud asked, gathering up the empty food cartons,

I grinned mischievously. "I think he might like some food." I said, putting emphasis on the last word.

Chobi perked up at that, and he jumped down from my bed and scampered over to Cloud.

"Fine," Cloud said, trying to suppress a smirk. He rummaged through his pack and pulled out the partially eaten vegetable he had cut up earlier.

Chobi saw it and dashed around Cloud's feet, unable to help himself. Was that why he had wandered into Cloud's pack. For the food?

Cloud cut a few more slices from the vegetable and broke them in an empty to-go box. He set the container on the ground and Chobi gave a 'Gwek' of thanks before diving into his feast.

"We've gotta figure out what to do with him." I said once Chobi was preoccupied with his food.

"Guess that's another problem we'll have to work out," Cloud said.

"Yeah." I stifled a yawn and rubbed the newly forming sleep out of my eyes.

But, Cloud was ever vigilant, and caught the action. "Look. We've done enough for today." He stooped down and grabbed his pack. "We'll discuss this further in the morning."

I nodded. That was the best suggestion he'd made all evening.

Cloud stepped halfway out the door, then turned to me. He waited a moment as if contemplating his words, opened his mouth to speak, then shook his head. "I'll come get you when it's time to go," he said.

"Okay… Night!" I called as he closed the door behind him. Weird. He looked like something was bothering him, the way his mouth tightened like that.

"…Whatever," I said, dismissing the feeling. I reached down and patted Chobi on the head. "Well, it's just you and me."

I didn't know much about taking care of animals from different planets, so I started with the basics and hoped Akaela would tell me if I needed to do more.

Once Chobi had fresh water and everything else he needed, I climbed under the blankets, looking forward to sleep, when my phone chimed. Puzzled, I grabbed it from the nightstand and looked at the message.

'Damage repaired. Coming to help.'

I stared at the text one more time to be sure I read it right, and smiled. Despite what I told Cloud earlier, maybe we could expect some other-worldly help after all.

 **A/N: Thanks for sticking with this story. Feel free to check out my others.**


End file.
